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Elderflower drizzle cake

Name: Elderflower drizzle cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: Serves 6-8
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 175g unsalted butter, softened; 175g light soft brown sugar; 4 medium eggs; 175g self-raising flour; ¼ tsp fine salt; Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon; 2 tbsp elderflower cordial; 150g icing sugar; 1 elderflower head or 1 tbsp dried elderflowers (optional); Specialist kit; 900g loaf tin

By: Pollyanna Coupland
Food producer, delicious.

Published: 23 Apr 25
Updated: 1 May 25

Lemon and elderflower are a match made in heaven, and this easy drizzle cake proves it. Here’s why it’s the perfect bake for late spring…

Easy cake: This light loaf cake is really simple to make. Just cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer, then fold in the other ingredients.
Real elderflower: Garnish with real elderflower heads (see Know-how). To take this bake to the next level, use homemade elderflower cordial.
Citrussy notes: Pour the citrussy elderflower syrup over the sponge when it’s fresh out of the oven for a sweet and floral flavour.

Celebrate a new season of produce with more spring recipes.

Easy
April 2025

Test kitchen approved

Serves 6-8
Prep time 15 min. Cook time 45 min, plus cooling

Lemon and elderflower are a match made in heaven, and this easy drizzle cake proves it. Here’s why it’s the perfect bake for late spring…

Easy cake: This light loaf cake is really simple to make. Just cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer, then fold in the other ingredients.
Real elderflower: Garnish with real elderflower heads (see Know-how). To take this bake to the next level, use homemade elderflower cordial.
Citrussy notes: Pour the citrussy elderflower syrup over the sponge when it’s fresh out of the oven for a sweet and floral flavour.

Celebrate a new season of produce with more spring recipes.

Nutrition: Per serving (for 8)

Calories: 362kcals
Fat: 21g (12g saturated)
Protein: 3.8g
Carbohydrates: 40g (40g sugars)
Fibre: trace
Salt: 0.3g

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Ingredients

175g unsalted butter, softened
175g light soft brown sugar
4 medium eggs
175g self-raising flour
¼ tsp fine salt
Finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon
2 tbsp elderflower cordial
150g icing sugar
1 elderflower head or 1 tbsp dried elderflowers (optional)

Specialist kit

900g loaf tin

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Method

Line the loaf tin with baking paper and heat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC fan/gas 4. Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy – about 5 minutes in a stand mixer. Crack in the eggs, beat together, then fold in the flour, salt, lemon zest and 1 tbsp elderflower cordial. Pour the batter into the loaf tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when pushed into the centre of the cake.
Juice the zested lemon into a bowl with the remaining 1 tbsp elderflower cordial, then whisk in the icing sugar, bit by bit, until you have a smooth, runny icing. Stir in the elderflowers if using. When the cake comes out of the oven, prick with a toothpick all over, then drizzle the icing over the top. Leave to cool in the tin, then remove from the tin, slice and serve.

Recipe from April 2025 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 362kcals
Fat: 21g (12g saturated)
Protein: 3.8g
Carbohydrates: 40g (40g sugars)
Fibre: trace
Salt: 0.3g

delicious. tips

There’s nothing better than foraging your own elderflowers on a sunny spring day. Remember not to pick flowers close to the ground (you aren’t washing them so they need to be away from animals), only take as much as you need and obtain permission from the landowner where necessary